Fluid handling devices



April 1968 R.S.WADD1NGTON ETAL 3,378,035

FLUID HANDLING DEVICES Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Inventors.

Attorneys United States Patent 3,378,035 FLUID HANDLING DEVICES Rogor Strange Waddington, London, and Bruce Duval,

Woldingham, England, assignors to Waddington & Duval (Holdings) Limited, London, England, a British company Conn'nuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 288,227,

June 17, 1963. This application Oct. 21, 1965, Ser.

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-62519) This app'ication is a continuation-in-part of our patent application Ser. No. 288,227 filed June 17, 1963, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to fluid handling devices and has an an object the provision of a spigot tap in improved form.

in accordance with the present invention there is provided a spigot tap in which the spigot part is formed to provide an internal air reflux passageway leading from the open end thereof. Conveniently, the spigot part has an internal septum which extends from the open end of the spigot part and divides the open end of the spigot part into a liquid exit and an air entrance and divides the interior of the Spigot part into a liquid delivery passageway leading to the liquid exit and an air reflux passageway leading from the air entrance.

In a preferred construction, the septum is formed as a separate component and is held by grooves or other septum-receiving formations in the spigot part. A tap whose spigot part has septum-receiving formations as aforesaid functions satisfactorily as an ordinary unvented tap in the absence of the septum.

The following description in whic'i reference is made to the accompanying drawing is given in order to illustrate the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded elevation of a spigot tap in accordance with the invention, part being shown in crosssection.

FlGURE 2 is a section taken along II-II of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section taken along IlIlIl of FlGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken along IV-IV of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of a modified spigot.

The tap shown in the drawing consists of a spigot part 1 rotatable in fluid-tight engagement within a sleeve part 2. The sleeve part 2 has integral therewith a tubular gland 3, whose axis is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the spigot part and which is formed to engage within the neck or other delivery opening of a liquid container. Obviously the form of the gland 3 depends upon the kind of opening with which his to be engaged and the form shown in the drawing is shown by way of example only.

Communication between the gland 3 and the sleeve part 2 is provided by a large liquid port 4. An integral tubular projection 6 within the gland communicates with the sleeve part by an air port 5 and has secured thereto a separately formed air tube 7 shaped to enter the container and provide an air exit at 8 above the level of the tap under running conditions.

The spigot part consists of a tubular moulding open at its lower end 9 and having a handle 10 at its closed upper end. Adjacent to the upper end the spigot part is formed externally with circumferential ridge 11 of enlarged diameter between a pair of grooves, which ridge and grooves cooperate with complementary formations 12 within the liner to locate the spigot part axially.

Formed in the wall of the spigot are a liquid entrance port 13 shaped and positioned to correspond with the "ice port 4 and an air exit port 14 positioned to correspond with the small air port 5.

Internally the spigot part is divided by a septum 15 having a tight sliding fit within a pair of longitudinal grooves 16 and 17. The lower end of the spigot part is cut through at the bases of the grooves to provide short slots for the reception of transversely projecting lugs 18 and 19 provided at the lower end of the septum 15. The slot for the reception of lug 19 is shown at 20 in FIG- URE 3.

At its upper end the septum 15 has a segmental part 21, the curved edge of which is a close mating fit at 21' with the inner surface of the spigot between the ports 13 and 14.

By the septum 15, the spigot part is divided to provide a liquid delivery passageway leading from the entrance port 13 to a liquid exit at the open end of the spigot part and an air reflux passageway, of smaller crosssectional area than the liquid delivery passageway, leading from the open end of the spigot part to the exit port 14. The open end of the spigot part is of course divided to form the liquid exit and air entrance by the lower edge of the septum.

With the spigot 1 rotated to position the ports 13 and 14- out of communication with the ports 4 and 5, the tap provides a satisfactory seal for the container. On turning the spigot within the sieeve part, the exit port 14 is placed in communication with air port 5 and entrance port 13 with liquid port 4. The circumferential displacement of the edge 21A of the exit port 14 beyond the edge 22 of the entrance port 13, by an amount equal to the circumferential displacement between the corresponding edges of the port 4 and S, ensures that the air and liquid passageways begin to communicate with the container at the same moment. When liquid is being delivered, air passes into the container via end 8 of the tube 7, or from the end of tubular projection 6 if tube 7 is omitted.

Should the interior f the container be under excess pressure, as often occurs with, for example, containers which have been standing in the sun or near boilers, liquid is discharged through the air reflux passageway until air reflux conditions are estabiished. The arrangement whereby the air reflux passageway leads from the delivery end of the spigot ensures that the liquid discharge therefrom joins the stream obtained from the liquid outlet itself.

As will be seen from FIGURE 1 the centre of the entrance port 13 lies on a radius which is perpendicular to the length of the handle 19. Accordingly a fully oil position of the tap is obtained with the handle 10 turned in one direction towards the face of the container, an arrangement which is convenient in storage and distribution. A fully on position is obtained with the handle turned in the opposite direction.

The tap may be made in any convenient material. It lends itself, however, to production in a cheap expendable form so that it may be fitted to a liquid container by the packer to serve as a transit closure and finally discarded by the user together with the emptied container.

To this end, the spigot part and the sleeve part 2 are conveniently provided in the form of plastic injection mouldings. To ensure fluid tightness the spigot part iS preferably given an interference fit within the sleeve part to hold the latter expanded under circumferential tension. A reliable inte ference fit can be obtained consistently and without difidculty under production conditions by making the inner diameter of the sleeve part deliberately undersized and st etching its diameter whilst hot, e.g. hot from the mould, by forcing the cold spigot thereinto. Very successful results have been obtained by forming the sleeve part of polythene nominally from 1% to 2% less than the diameter of the spigot part, the spigot part being formed from polystyrene. To facilitate insertion, the inner surface of the sleeve part and the outer surface of the spigot part above level 23 are made slightly tapered and the cylindrical portion of the sleeve part below level 23 has a loose fit with the sleeve part even in its unstretched condition.

The septum 15 is placed in position by sliding it within the grooves 16 and 17. In spite of its non-diametric position within the spigot part it is held firmly located in the grooves 16 and 17 by the segmental part 21 and the lugs 18 and 19. If the septum is omitted from the assembly, a satisfactory non-reflux tap is obtained. Thus the manufacturer can produce taps with or without air reflux as required directly from the same sets of mouldings. A non-reflux tap, characterised by the provision of internal grooves, ribs or other formations adapted to accommodate a septum operable to convert it to a reflux tap is to be regarded as falling within the ambit of the present invention.

When a tap as hereinbefore described is used for withdrawing liquid from a closed container, containing air above the liquid, liquid is delivered via both the air and liquid passageways whilst a partial vacuum is produced above the liquid in the container. Delivery through both passageways persists until equilibrium conditions are produced such that the level at which the pressure in the liquid corresponds with atmospheric pressure lies just below the level of the air port 5. Subsequently liquid is delivered via the liquid passageway while air flows inwardly through the air passageway. Once equilibrium conditions have been established, further withdrawals of liquid are obtained from the container with an immediate compensatory fiow of air.

It has been found that if the pre-equilibrium Withdrawal of liquid from the container is a slow withdrawal with the liquid passageway just open, a tap as hereinbefore described tends to give a delivery of liquid which diminishes gradually and then ceases. Restoration of the delivery is obtainable by opening the tap further, but tends to be sudden. In the result, the rate of delivery of liquid becomes greater than required for many purposes. The difiiculty is overcome by the provision of the modified spigot shown in FIGURE 5. In this spigot, the end 21a of the port 14 is so displaced relative to the edge 22' of the entrance port 13, that the air passageway always 45 opens before the liquid passageway begins to open. With this arrangement an initially slow pre-equilibrium withdrawal is obtained at a substantially constant rate which persists until and after equilibrium conditions are estab- 4 lished. Indeed, starting from pre-equilibrium conditions, a container may be emptied at a very slow rate without adjustment of the tap, air-reflux of course occurring after equilibrium conditions have been established.

What is claimed is:

1. A spigot tap comprising a tap body shaped to provide a tubular liquid entry part and a sleeve part communi-cating with the liquid entry part via a liquid aperture and an air aperture small compared with the liquid aperture, a hollow spigot open at one end thereof and formed on its length with a liquid entry port and an air exit in the form of a circumferential slot adjacent to the liquid entry port, said liquid entry port and said slot being positioned to be brought into communication with the liquid aperture and the air aperture respectively by rotating the spigot and one end of the slot being positioned such that when the liquid entry port is brought even partially into communication with the liquid aperture the slot is always placed at least partially in communication with the air aperture, and a partition releasably retained within the spigot part by a tight slidable fit and dividing the interior thereof to provide a liquid passageway leading from the liquid entry port to the open end of the spigot and an air passageway leading from the open end of the spigot to said slot.

2. A tap according to claim 1 in which said one end of the slot is positioned such that on rotation of the spigot the slot and the liquid entry port begin to communicate simultaneously with the air aperture and the liquid aperture.

3. A tap according to claim 1 in which said one end of the slot is positioned such that on rotation of the spigot the slot is brought into communication with the air aperture before the liquid entry port begins to be brought into communication with the liquid aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 36,473 9/1862 McKenna 137588 644,131 12/1900 De Lancey 137-588 714,585 11/1902 Ketelsen 137588 854,635 5/1907 Duerst 137588 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,169 6/ 1900 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

W. CLINE Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPIGOT TAP COMPRISING A TAP BODY SHAPED TO PROVIDE A TUBULAR LIQUID ENTRY PART AND A SLEEVE PART COMMUNICATING WITH THE LIQUID ENTRY PART VIA A LIQUID APERTURE AND AN AIR APERTURE SMALL COMPARED WITH THE LIQUID APERTURE, A HOLLOW SPIGOT OPEN AT ONE END THEREOF AND FORMED ON ITS LENGTH WITH A LIQUID ENTRY PORT AND AN AIR EXIT IN THE FORM OF A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SLOT ADJACENT TO THE LIQUID ENTRY PORT, SAID LIQUID ENTRY PORT AND SAID SLOT BEING POSITIONED TO BE BROUGHT INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE LIQUID APERTURE AND THE AIR APERTURE RESPECTIVELY BY ROTATTING THE SPIGOT AND ONE END OF THE SLOT BEING POSITIONED SUCH THAT WHEN THE LIQUID ENTRY PORT IS BROUGHT EVEN PARTIALLY INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE LIQUID APERTURE THE SLOT IS ALWAYS PLACED AT LEAST PARTIALLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIR APERTURE, AND A PARTITION RELEASABLY RETAINED WITHIN THE SPIGOT PART BY A TIGHT SLIDABLE FIT AND DIVIDING THE INTERIOR THEREOF TO PROVIDE A LIQUID PASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE LIQUID ENTRY PORT TO THE OPEN END OF THE SPIGOT AND AN AIR PASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE OPEN END OF THE SPIGOT TO SAID SLOT. 